Newcastle United’s Alan Pardew insists: End sick chants

ALAN Pardew has hit out at the sick chants aimed at Newcastle defender Steven Taylor in Sunday’s Wear-Tyne derby, writes MILES STARFORTH.

Some Sunderland fans chanted “Steven Taylor, we wish you were dead” at the Stadium of Light.

A pre-match interview from Taylor had rankled on Wearside, with the defender suggesting that no Sunderland player would get in Newcastle’s team – or make it on to Pardew’s bench.

Pardew’s adamant that such a chant has no place in football.

And he’s called on the football authorities – and police – to look into the abuse directed at Taylor, who came off the bench in the 1-1 draw.

Newcastle’s fans were also criticised for singing a tasteless song about Jimmy Savile.

“They were not acceptable,” Pardew said. “We don’t want that in the game – every type of abuse is not right.

“I hope they are brought to task, if it is found out who they are.”

Abuse, particularly of a racist nature, in football has been brought into sharp focus over the past 12 months.

And the events at Hillsborough last week, where Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper was struck by a Leeds United fan who ran on to the pitch, were also roundly condemned on what was a bad week for English football.

Pardew added: “Show Racism the Red Card is not just about racism, it’s about all kinds of chanting of a personal nature.

“We’ve had all sorts of examples over the last week, with what happened at the Sheffield Wednesday-Leeds game. It is not acceptable.”

Pardew was speaking at Walker Activity Dome in Newcastle yesterday, where the club presented a cheque, on behalf of the Premier League, for improvements to the leisure centre.

A joint bid for funding by Newcastle City Council and Newcastle United Foundation secured a grant of £338,819.

The sports centre has been transformed into a state-of-the-art soccer centre with a £2.5m investment by the council.